


Tainted Flower

by alia03



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 03:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alia03/pseuds/alia03
Summary: She was tired. Flying all the way to Japan to escape with her caretaker, she tries to blend in like any other ordinary fifteen year old. Forget the ordinary part though, no use changing her usual poker face. Enrolling herself to that school was a mistake. But, the bigger mistake was letting herself fall in that isolated class in the mountains.You can also find this in my Fanfiction.net account





	1. Chapter 1

" _Mama! Papa!"_

_A small girl, aged five, runs towards her house._

_No answer._

_Three different pink flowers in her hand. A pink camellia for her papa, a pink carnation for her mama, the last one…_

" _Mama? Papa?"_

_She screamed. Blood was spreading on the floor, coming from the fallen bodies of her parents._

_Dangerous looking men stood before her. One of them says,_

" _This is her," grabbing her roughly, making her drop the flowers._

_She struggled but her little body was no match to those big filthy hands._

_Not caring, the men stepped on the camellia and carnation. The last flower wasn't stepped on but,_

_**The silence was so thick.** _

_**A man was kneeling in front of a little girl no older than six. 'A doctor,' she thinks, 'he's wearing a white coat.'** _

_**Her breathing was heavy. Her cheek stung. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.** _

_**By her feet lies a gun.** _

" _ **All you have to do," a man says to her. This one was crouching right beside her. She breathes shakily.**_

" _ **Is to repeat after me," he smiles maliciously, unknown to her. She was staring at the other man instead.**_

_**"Pick up the gun, Doctor." He starts.** _

" _ **P-p-pick u-up the gu-gun, Do-doctor," she repeats obediently, lest she gets slapped again. The doctor follows, amazingly.**_

" _ **Point it to your head," he sneers.**_

" _ **P-please n-n-no," the doctor begs. The girl hesitates, looking over her shoulder.**_

" _ **Well?" the man sneers at her, ignoring the other. She repeats it with the same stutter, not liking the man's look.**_

_**Again, the doctor just obeys, even though it was clear he didn't want to. He continues to beg for mercy.** _

_**Maliciously towards her, the man beside her says the one word that would change everything.** _

_**Closing her eyes, she repeated that one word that would taint her, "S-S-Shoot."** _

_**The gun fires.** _

_**Red…red covered the floor…some covered her.** _

_**Just like the flower that was dropped on the blood covered floor that fateful day.** _

**Like that flower, an azalea…**

**She was Azalea and she was tainted with blood.**


	2. First Day Time First Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the following events occurred before the first episode and chapter of Assassination Classroom. This means before Korosensei was named. Also, please note that the canon events in Tainted Flower will be based on both anime and manga.

**BANG! HEY! BANG! SWOSH! BANG! PING!**

'It's really noisy in there.'

A girl thought as she stood just outside the classroom of Class E. She had looked up from the same line she was reading for the past two minutes since the octopus teacher entered the room. With an inaudible sigh, she closed the book to put it in her bag.

Tucking some loose hair on her left ear, she listened carefully to distinguish what actual sounds were in the class, instead of just hearing noise. She had avoided doing this earlier, hence the book, but old habits die  _hard._

She could hear the sounds of three guns firing as well as the grunts or yelps of their handlers. Pellets from what she could hear were not only being fired but were also rebounding from solid walls or various objects. Despite all that, names were being called by her soon-to-be homeroom teacher as well as

'…her  _target_. _'_

" **Your target."** She could hear that  _man_ 's voice still.

Taking a green knife out of her pocket, her hands started to twirl it with practiced ease. Trying to distract herself, she thought back to what had happened a little while ago.

" _I want you to kill this creature." The man who introduced himself as Karasuma suddenly stated to her._

" **I want you to kill this person."**

_A single file of said creature was handed to her. Her eyes landed on the picture of a shiny yellow creature wearing an academic hat and black academic dress. The creature's large stripped head was smiling quite smugly back at her. What stood out to her most, excluding its yellow body, was the crescent shaped moon on its tie._

' _An octopus?' she blinked before she gazed intently at the creature's weird yellow tentacles. Her face were not showing any of the disbelief she was feeling at her situation. At the same time, Karasuma was observing her reaction or rather lack of._

_The two of them were in the teacher's office at the old campus. She had arrived for her first day and was greeted by the stoic man. She initially presumed him to be her homeroom teacher but was corrected before long when he immediately introduced himself._

" _This creature destroyed 70 percent of the Moon with the speed of Mach 20."_

_She merely raised an eyebrow to the statement, but inwardly she was contemplating. If she wasn't already regretting her decision in enrolling in this school, she had reason to do so now. She was missing something here._

_A green knife, a gun, and a jar of BB pellets entered her field of vision. Looking back up to Karasuma, she took them with unseen reluctance._

" _And he will be your homeroom teacher."_

_Now, she's regretting letting herself fall in this isolated classroom on the mountains. She shouldn't have listened to-_

"Before we start class, Sensei would like to introduce to you a new classmate." She hears the teacher announce, taking her back to the present. "Please enter, Celeste-san."

Pocketing the knife in her hand, she walks inside the classroom.

* * *

_Emotionless._

That was the word Class E would describe the transfer student. Or more specifically, her face.

She was standing there in front of them with such an expressionless face. Her emotionless eyes were deep and vivid purple. Her bright long pink hair was loose reaching her lower back. Her fringe was swept to the right side of her face while strands of pink were tucked on her left ear, revealing an amethyst gem earing. She was petite and was an inch shorter than the smallest in class who was Kayano. She would've been cute but with the firm line of her lips and emotionless stare, she would most likely give them a run for their money in poker.  _If only they knew..._

Her uniform were the beige cardigan which were clearly a size too big for her torso. The sleeves were too long since only her fingers were visible. The skirt she wore her at a short length, ending at the middle of her thighs. Her black socks fit up to a few inches below skirt.

Overall, she was pretty, petite, and emotionless like a doll.

At the same time that they were observing her, she was discerning them as well. Her eyes went around the class, calculating them emotionlessly. Her gaze swept around the room to each of its occupant, her classmates rather, but her eyes had last longer on a blue haired boy.

The boy was clearly observing her far too intently. But what caught her eyes more so was his presence which was something else. While, the green haired girl beside him was…

'Familiar?' She thought. 'No, someone related to her maybe…'

The sound of the chalk writing on the blackboard stopped what was starting to become a staring contest between the class and the transfer. Gazes were turned towards the board. Even, the new girl directed her gaze at the board.

_Seresute Ezarea_  was written in Katakana.

"Please introduce yourself, Celeste-san." The yellow octopus known as dubbed as the homeroom teacher said with chalk in hand, er, tentacle.

_Eh?_ The whole class thought.  _A foreigner?_

"Celeste Azalea desu."

A quiet voice says in a deadpanned voice but it was… Their gazes went back to the new girl who had bowed to them. They all stared at her in disbelief.

_B-b-beautiful._

"Yoroshiku." Azalea finishes with an emotionless tone.

She had a sweet pleasant voice. It was girlish even. Quite right for her petite stature. Forget how deadpanned it sounded though!

"Celeste-san is from Europe so please be nice to her." The octopus teacher said. "Also, Celeste-san's seat will be behind Hara-san. Hara-san, please raise your hand."

The last girl who was at the back raised her hand as requested. A vacant seat was behind her. Even when she nodded to Hara, Azalea still focused on the octopus, more specifically his voice.

"Plus, she will be a new ally in your assassination attempts so take good care of her." The octopus continued. His smile widening even more. "Any questions?"

"Nee, sensei," Azalea started.

Everyone gapped still at the new girl spoke. That voice was definitely beautiful.

"Hai?" The big smile was turned to her. But everyone gapped even more by the next words she uttered.

"You seem familiar. Have we met before?"

Silence answered her. Small beady eyes were staring at those emotionless violet eyes. They all waited for their teacher's response.

No answer.

"Never mind." She shrugs, proceeding towards an empty seat behind the Hara girl by the window at the back. Eyes followed her still even when she had sat down.

"Anything else?" The octopus teacher finally breaking the silence that had covered the room. When no one spoke, he continued cheerfully. "Then, let's start class."

* * *

_**DING! DONG! DING DONG!** _

At the sound of the lunch bell, their octopus sensei stopped his lecture and dismissed them for lunch. He said something about getting some exotic food from some other country. Azalea wasn't really paying much attention to what he said after the bell rang.

She was itching to take out her book and continue where she left it. Plus, she was very hungry. Just as she took out her book and a big bento, her pursuit to a quiet lunch with a book was disturbed.

"Etto, Seresute-san," she heard. Looking up, she saw a tall girl with long gray hair in a ponytail and straight bangs smile kindly at her.

Noticing the few curious eyes at her, Azalea knew she wouldn't get much reading anytime soon. Resigning herself to her fate, she responded in her monotonous voice.

"Hai?"

'Her voice really is pleasant to the ear.' Shiota Nagisa thought. He was one of the few curious students that was watching the foreign transfer student interacting with the two class representatives. 'Despite its monotone.'

"We are the class representatives. I am Kataoka Megu," the tall girl introduces herself. Then pointing at a black spiky haired boy beside her, "and this is Isogai Yuuma. If you have any question about school, let either of us know."

"We can give you a tour around the campus, now, if you're okay with it." The boy, Isogai, says.

They all waited for her answer. Azalea was about to decline, but her stomach answered for her quite loudly.

**GROWL!**

"Can we do it tomorrow? I skipped breakfast." Azalea says, after a bit of silence. Her face was still as deadpanned as ever. But had they been as observant as their octopus sensei, they would have also noticed the slight reddening of her ears.

"T-that's o-okay, nee, Isogai-kun?" Kataoka stuttered. She was trying her best not to react at all.

"A-ah, r-right. S-since we were going to plan ways to assassinate Sensei, nee?" Isogai stuttered as well. Like Kataoka, he was trying hard not to react.

"R-right, a-anyway, if you have any ideas of assassinating Sensei, let us know as well." Kataoka answers. "Jaa nee."

_'AWKWAAAARD!'_ was what ran through their minds as they all looked elsewhere.

'What a way to start the first day of school!' was what ran through her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse me for any and all mistakes I am sure I have made in this chapter and will be making in the coming chapters. I am an amateur writer! This is my first ever story! If you have suggestions, questions, comments, and/or violent reactions, please tell me by reviewing! Really please review! It will help me a lot! And I will be forever grateful!


	3. First Day Time Second Period

_Dull._

_That was the word for it. It was the atmosphere surrounding Class E._

Not long after that awkward bit about her empty stomach making itself known, she realized something. She was right.

Although, yes, she did get to eat at least before all those curious looking ones descended on her person. Okay, they were a mere two, probably three bites. Her unopened book abandoned at her left. She'd look at forlornly if she wasn't so blank.

Now that she thought about it, how fast did they consume their own lunches, anyway? Never mind, she thought as one bubbly girl walked to her side.

"Hiya! Kurahashi Hinano da*!" A hand was shove to her face by the smiling girl with short wavy orange hair and peridot green eyes.

Not seeing the need to re-introduce herself, she merely took the offered hand with her right and quietly said, "Hello."

Despite Azalea's lack of enthusiasm, Kurahashi was undeterred. She was encourage to talk to the transfer even more. The emotionless girl did take her offered hand, it was something, right?

"Soooo, Cere-sere-sute-san is from where in Europe?" Kurahashi stuttered her name trying to pronounce it the way their teacher says it, but was failing. The smile on her face was present still.

"Azalea."

"Eh?" Green eyes looked at Azalea in confusion. Every other curious classmates were just listening in on them. Confusion also on their faces.

"You can call me Azalea. Everyone can call me that." Azalea says, addressing not only Kurahashi but every eavesdropping classmates as well, who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"E-za-re-a-san, then." Kurahashi carefully pronouncing her name. Her smile was widening even more now.

"Also, Southwest part of Europe." Azalea says, answering Kurahashi's earlier question. It was inevitable anyway. She was already resigning herself to hearing an 'R' in her name, instead of an 'L'.

It was at that moment did Shiota Nagisa thought that the pink haired girl's answer of where she came from was weird. 'Why didn't she answer with a country's name?' He thought.

Seeing the other girl contemplate her answer and the pause in their conversation, Azalea took some chicken from her bento using her fork before taking a bite. Its flavorful stringy texture invading her mouth. Movement in front of her caught her attention.

Azalea's eyes darted forward to see brown eyes gazing hungrily at her, wait no, not at her. It was a bit unexpected at the same time not unexpected to see another look so hungrily at her packed lunch. An would be proud. Making up her mind, she picked up her lunch in her right hand before offering,

"Hara-san can have some, if she wants to."

"Is it alright?" Hara's voice responded. Although, the bigger girl was going for the reluctant visage, she was failing. Her lunch  _did_ look appetizing after all. An would definitely be proud now.

"Hai" Azalea didn't think she could eat all of the food in her bento anyway. Kurahashi had just stood back and was watching them. Smile still on her face. The others, well, they were watching still.

The other girl taking the offered bento carefully. Her brown eyes shining in delight at the artful way the bento was designed. The food looked delicious. Its smell was mouthwatering. Hara took just a small bit, restraining herself from taking if not all, then a big portion. The action made amusement flash from Azalea's eyes before it quickly disappeared, replaced by an emotionless stare.

After returning back the bento, Hara immediately put the food in her mouth. Tasting its flavor, she said, "It's delicious! Did you make it, Ezarea-san?"

No longer seeing the need to keep their distance, the eavesdropping bunch stood near Azalea's table then. Azalea saw them from the corner of her right eye before quickly answering Hara'question.

"No, An made it."

"An?" One of her classmates couldn't help but utter. It was the blue haired boy.

"An is my guardian." Azalea simply said, taking another bite from her food. Her violet eyes staring at the boy's azure eyes. Her stare must have its usual unnerving effect, since he had immediately looked elsewhere.

In front of her, Hara was gushing about wanting to meet An. An, according to her, was probably a very kind motherly woman. Oh well, at least none of them, asked about why she was living with a guardian instead of a mother and a father. Yet. It was probably at the tip of that blue haired boy's tongue, if she looked close enough.

The green haired girl beside him immediately stepped forward with a hand offered to her. A smile on her face, she said, "Kayano Kaede desu! This guy here," gesturing to the blue haired boy, "is Shiota Nagisa. Then, there's the class representatives. You know them already~ So there's…"

Kayano went off introducing practically everyone. Why no one bothered to do this earlier, Azalea had no idea. Some inclined their head when introduced or some other gesture in a sign to acknowledge her, others offered their hand to her, the rest, well, ignored her.

The yellow octopus was competent enough to teach, despite his lack of humanly features. The group that approached her were the friendly sort, despite being too curious. The class representatives seemed welcoming, despite them being, hmmm, too  _ikemen_. Okay, to those two, she sees no bad side. Yet.

Obviously, she had a bad habit, her emotionless eyes wandered around the room. Nope, it wasn't being a pessimist. It was a habit of practically ignoring what was right in front of her.  _Looks can be deceiving afterall._

_A handsome face. A half smile. Dark blue eyes. A mafia boss._

_A kind face. A relaxing smile. Cold dark eyes. A professional assassin._

_The best two examples of the statement, looks can be deceiving._

Still keeping an ear open to the babbling friendly sort. What her eyes saw in the rest of her classmates was just how dull they were. They were lacking in luster. Not because they were at the bottom of the barrel in this institute known as school, it was because they look like they've just given up hope. Like this current situation, will be what is to come for them. It was as if they had no right to hope.

This dullness was probably the norm in the class. In short, the friendliness of the group in front of her was just for today.

Yes, come tomorrow or a few days. They would probably be dull again.

" **School will be fun. I promise."** A kind woman's voice said to her that fateful night. Momentarily, Azalea closes her eyes.

"So, how long have you been in Japan, Ezarea-san?" Azalea hears Kayano ask. Looking at the other, Azalea answers.

"A week or so."

"Eh? But your Japanese is so good." A blonde blue eyed girl comments. It was Nakamura Rio, if she wasn't mistaken.

"I've been here a few times in the past. I've learned Japanese then."

' _Liar.'_ Azalea thought _._

And she didn't know who she was calling a liar. That kind woman in the past or herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review! PLEAAAAASE!
> 
> *da - da is the informal term for desu.


	4. New Home Time

Minding her own business, Azalea walked back to the apartment she lived in after her first day in school. She walked the length of the street when her eyes wandered ahead to see a fork in the road. Without pause, she turned left despite knowing that she just took the wrong turn.

She observed the unfamiliar structures lining along the street, committing to memory the apartment buildings on her right and a construction site on her left as this street's landmarks. She walked the whole length of the street before turning the left corner at the end.

The new street was another unfamiliar one to the stoic girl.

Okay, Azalea wasn't really trying to get herself lost by taking every unfamiliar turn at the end of every road. This was an automatic thing for her. For every new place she found herself in, she would memorize the area immediately this way. She'd take every possible route, despite actually getting herself lost a few times.

Oh well, she could always play the I-am-new-here-and-do-not-know-how-to-get-around-the-area-yet card to any unsuspecting victim, person rather. There was another way, too. But that was a last resort.

Taking a few more left turns, she saw a familiar ramen restaurant on her left side. Now finding herself on a familiar street, Azalea just let her mind muse on what happened earlier.

* * *

_The octopus had dismissed them after the last bell rang signaling the end of the day. Gathering her stuff like everyone else, Azalea's mind screamed freedom. Alas, it was not meant to be as Kurahashi once again approached her._

" _Ezarea-san shall we walk home together?" The girl asked. But before Azalea could respond, a light purple eyed brunette whose hair was held up in a ponytail shouted out. Yada Toka, Azalea's mind supplied._

" _Dame, Hina-chan!" Receiving a confused look from the usually cheerful girl, Yada continued. "Didn't you ask Sensei to tutor you?"_

" _Eh!" The energetic girl visibly deflated. "But, I wanted to walk home with Ezarea-san."_

_All around them, everyone else hurried off to home, cram school, and some place to hang out. Azalea was grateful for that. She was the center of attention for the whole day and she was already sick of it. Like her, most of the students wanted to get out. Except for some others like that shy looking girl with twin braids. She turned to the other two girls exchanging words._

_Wanting to just get out, Azalea cut in._

" _Some other time then, Kurahashi-san." Azalea mentally scolded herself, not thinking straight. Too many promises she witnessed had been made. All of them broken. Some of them made by herself._ _ **Great.**_

_Kurahashi still looking deflated and pouting at her friend. Yada stood by them ready to scold her best friend once more. The half of the classroom was already empty. Azalea's mind was running with an idea, she quietly said,_

" _It'll also be a good opportunity for Kurahashi-san."_

_That broke the two best friend's staring contest, immediately turning to the emotionless girl._

" _What do you mean, Ezarea-san?" It was who Yada spoke._

" _Kurahashi-san can attempt to assassinate Sensei while he's distracted in teaching her, Yada-san." Azalea answered, once again scolding herself for her slip. She was physically fine but mentally exhausted, right now._

_As if charging a dead battery, Kurahashi became energetic once again. Both girls not noticing Azalea's tactlessness. But then, they would have to look at her carefully to see the stoic girl's aggravation._

" _Ohh! I'll do it then!" Kurahashi screamed._

_Yada sighed._

' _Freedom.' Azalea screamed as she left the classroom. Mentally, of course._

* * *

Her musing keeping her company, Azalea arrived at her new apartment building. Not wanting to encounter any of the other residents, she took the stairs two steps at a time, instead of the elevator.

She stopped at the last door found on the fifth level. She was thankful, since she encountered not one soul. The other residents were too cheerful for her. It would have been alright but she has already exceeded her limit with people of sunny personalities for the day. Except…

The name plate by the door catching her eye. Azalea let her fingers trace the word engraved on it. The plate indicating that it was An and her apartment.

_Saverio_

Its meaning wasn't lost to her, Azalea contemplated before entering the apartment.

Inside, Azalea found that the place was just too quiet. Its other occupant was probably out, she observed as she took off her shoes. A thought forming on the back of her mind.

Covering the necessary steps, she entered the kitchen space. Just as she thought, a note was on the dining table with an unexpected envelope beside it. Leaving her bag on one of the seat available by the table before picking up the note. She confirmed that it was An's handwriting first before reading.

_L,_

_Went out to find a job! Here's some money. Go eat out! :P_

_Love, A~_

Azalea was mildly annoyed at the nickname. Too much anime references have made ever since the idiot watched that one anime whose plot was practically non-existent, hence her annoyance. Mildly, at least the reference this time was from a good one.

Checking the contents of the envelope, her left eye made a minuscule twitch. Sighing, she pocketed a quarter of the money inside. She made her way out the apartment once more bringing her hardbound book from her bag.

The idiot left her too much money. Again.

* * *

Thinking about it though, Azalea would have to get used to everything,  _once more_. New neighbors, her new classmates, her new teacher, her new school. Another whole new routine, again. The only thing that never changed was...

Despite his constant show of idiocy, An is brilliant. She learned from the man after all. Her caretaker. Her guardian. Her friend. The one consistent thing in her life.

Looking back at her apartment building, she ghostly felt the letters her fingers traced earlier. No, it wasn't just her apartment.

_Saverio_

A fitting name for their  _new home._


	5. Wander Time

So far, Japan was peaceful, if not for the series of unfortunate events that had started with a certain yellow octopus teacher…

'Hmmm, he needs a name.' Azalea thought, her once abandoned book in her hands.

"Come on, just join us for a bit of fun,  _babe_."

…up to this current situation. Three high school delinquents stood surrounding her. What  _fun._

How did she get there? Here's a quick run through.

Azalea had a  _nice_ meal at that ramen restaurant. Its taste still lingering on her tongue. At least the chief was more kind than obnoxiously nice. Continuing her way around without going too far from the apartment complex, she found a park. She crossed paths with a hungry looking stray cat. Azalea fed it with rest of the milk she was sipping from. Hopefully, strawberry flavored milk won't hurt the animal.

Minutes later, she found a nice looking bench in the same park after the stray ran off. The cat had left after licking her hand that was petting its fur. She had read a whole page from her book before, lo and behold, three buffoons appeared before her.

From the corner of her vision, she could see that the three buffoons were starting to look disgruntled at her lack of reaction to them.

_Good._

Azalea was determined to just ignore them, her right hand turning a page. To a stranger, she would probably look like a small middle school girl being bullied by three big bad brutes from high school. She shrugged, ' _as long as no one tries to play knight-in-shining-armo -'_

"Hey." A vaguely familiar female's voice pierced the silence.

Azalea and the three buffoons looked at the new arrival.

Wearing the same school uniform as Azalea, the only difference being the official gray coat, a vaguely familiar Kunugigaoka female student stood near the three buffoons. Did the girl call to her?

"You should leave her alone." The cold looking arrival continued.

Nope.

 ** _Great._**  She spoke too soon.

* * *

Azalea would've applauded her classmate's reckless bravery. But due to that bravery, Azalea will now have to deal with the three buffoons. For both their sakes. Azalea's sanity and her classmate's safety.

 _Oh great._ The three buffoons looked ready to pounce.

'How troublesome.' Azalea thought. Her expressionless eyes watching the events unfold.

Sure enough, one of them grabbed the orange haired girl's right wrist. Let's call him, Brute 1.

"Well, guys, today's our lucky day!" Brute 1 jeered loudly. "Babe's got a friend!"

"Hey! Let go!" The female's cold bravado gone. Her eyes held a frightened glint. All four momentarily forgetting the  _'babe'_ who was calmly still sitting on the bench.

Azalea closed her book as she stood up. Sighing all along. She called the attention to herself once more, "Hey."

She continued, voice even, "Why not leave us ladies alone before anyone gets hurt?"

Not expecting a threat with the blankest voice, all three guys seethed. Her classmate stare unbelieving at her as if to say, 'What?'

Azalea merely gazed back at her.

"HAAAAA?!" Brute 2 spits at her. He moves towards Azalea, his hand made to grab the stoic girl turning his back to his buffoon friends.

**_In a battle against brute strength, Azalea doesn't stand a chance. With such a petite body. But…_ **

'I warned you.' Azalea sidestepping. ' _Gomenasai_ ,  _Hon-san.'_

**_…in a battle more brutal, more cunning, more inhumane…_ **

To the brute, Azalea disappeared. Azalea made her body spin behind Brute 2, gaining a bit of a momentum when she sidestepped. She slammed the spine of the hardbound book onto the brute's nape. The force causes him to lose consciousness.

Wide eyes incredulously staring at a composed Azalea with the out cold brute whose body was twice or even thrice, her size on the ground by her feet.

**_…the one to breathe his last breath loses._ **

Wanting to see fear in Azalea's eyes, Brute 3 brings out a knife on his right hand yelling, "YOU!"

His threat was answered by a deadpanned face from Azalea. Stupidly, he charges at her.

**_Survival. Last man standing winds. Afterall…_ **

Azalea strikes out her right hand, grabbing the brute's right wrist. With the brute's forward momentum and gravity, she easily pulls the brute's right arm towards her right side. At the same time, Azalea twists her hips to powerfully kick the brute on the stomach with her right leg.

**_…Azalea is a professional assassin._ **

The wind knocked out of his lungs, Brute 3 collapses on the ground beside Brute 2. Shock was evident on both Brute 1 and the other girl's face. This causes Brute 1 to let go of the orange haired girl's wrist as fear coursed through him. He was next and he wants out.

Everything happened fast to the untrained eye. But, Azalea looked down on the collapsed bodies before turning towards the only guy that stood still.

**_And, she hates it._ **

Azalea heard a gasp.

Had her orange haired classmate not broken her trance, Azalea might have done worst to the buffoons she defended against. Okay, attacked. Slowly, the pink haired girl turned to look at her frozen classmate.

Brute 1 frantically ran away dragging his two collapsed friends, trying to remain undetected. Tails between his legs. Running away from them. Specifically, Azalea who just let them be as she let her mind wander.

'What was her name? Let's see. Something like fireworks.  _Hanabi_. No, Hamami. Hmmm, apple.  _Ringo_ , I think. Reika. Ahh, it was…'

" _Daijoubu desu ka,_ Hayami-san." Azalea inquired, addressing the other. Finally, cutting the silence as purple meets green.

Hayami looked at her as if to say, 'I should be asking you that.' But, she merely nodded.

Azalea shrugged. 'I'm fine.'

By silent agreement, two classmates started walking towards the same direction, wanting to end the day by going home. Both were lost in their own minds about what the events the occurred earlier.

'Her eyes. They were…' Hayami Rinka's mind cut off.

'Why didn't the buffoons attack simultaneously? Hmmm, a simultaneous attack, huh?' Azalea's critical mind forged on.

Remembering the contact numbers from the two ikemen of the class, Azalea received earlier in the day. An idea formed on her head.

Eventually, realizing that the other was heading towards a different road, the two merely nodded at each other. Their eyes saying,

'See you tomorrow.'

* * *

Unknown to them both, a pair of sharp golden eyes had witnessed the fight.

"Heh,  _omoshiroi_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gomenasai, Hon-san – Gomenasai means 'sorry'. Hon means 'book'. Basically, Azalea was politely apologizing to her book.
> 
> Hanabi and Ringo – Hanabi means 'fireworks' and Ringo means 'apple'. This two key words were used by Azalea to remember Hayami's name.
> 
> Daijoubu desu ka – means 'are you alright?'
> 
> Omoshiroi – means 'interesting'. But can also mean 'funny' when used in a different situation.


	6. Assassination Time

As much as she hated the fact, Azalea was still an assassin, one who started at a young age. Under the careful watch of her guardian, she became a professional killer.

Whenever Azalea is assigned a target, An was just always there. As her guardian and "partner". Though An wouldn't step in her way unless he has to, which rarely happens. He is however the mastermind of Plans B to Y. Plan A was dubbed as Azalea's Plan by An and Plan Z was their last resort.

The success rate of Plan A was 80%. This consists of Azalea spending time observing her target,  _personally._  Meaning infiltration. The remaining 20% is a story for another time.

The key to her assassination was a great number of simulations.

Feigning every possible situation just to see how her target would react. Various situations showed strengths and revealed weaknesses. Of course, she made it all seem like fate was at work.

Little do the targets know, Azalea was plotting the best way to eliminate them.

* * *

On Azalea's second day of class, the whole of Class E had arrived earlier than they usually do. The night before Isogai Yuuma, the male class representative contacted everyone for an early meeting.

The agenda was about killing their yellow octopus teacher as they simultaneously attack him. The idea was formulated by none other than the pink haired girl herself, without the knowledge of her classmates.

To the class, their male class representative had such a great idea. As this included the split of 10 billion yen between them all when things go according to plan.

To Isogai, Azalea was new and  _might_  have been too shy to take the credit of the plan. At least he  _thinks_ that was the case. It was too hard to tell with the girl's poker face and blank tone.

To Azalea, she wanted no involvement in planning the attack. She only wanted to see how the octopus will react and to have a few questions answered. This was a simulation  _after all_.

Everyone agreed, they'll all attack the yellow octopus before the lessons begun. One Shiota Nagisa will call the signal as the student on duty for the day.

* * *

'Wow. Just wow.' Azalea thought sarcastically with a deadpan.

The plan couldn't have failed more epically when the blue haired boy shouted "Stand!" and everyone brought out the guns  _literally._ Then, shooting the Mach 20 speeding octopus at Shiota's nervous shout of "Bow!"

Azalea couldn't even try to shoot, she was stunned with what she witnessed. One good thing about this was she wouldn't have to reload the pink pellets on her gun.

If anyone had seen her lowering her right arm, she'd just say she was short and might've hit the blue haired boy if she fired. Her gun points straight towards his back instead of the octopus anyway. She was  _tempted_  to.

This poor attempt could've been seen miles away. The octopus didn't even blink he just started to call their names for attendance. Azalea felt her eye twitch in annoyance as she had to loudly speak when her name was called and rarely did she do that.

Finally as the last name was called and the firing guns silenced, everyone except Azalea and the teacher were out of breath. One of the males in the front row, Maehara started voicing his complaints and everyone else just followed.

At least, the poor assassination attempt and a short demonstration answered some of Azalea's questions.

One, the Mach 20 speed was definitely true. Despite not paying attention, Azalea saw a glimpse when he flew to Italy (she found out from Kurahashi earlier in the morning) but to witness it in front of the room creating after images while dodging bullets from twenty five people, proved it.

Two, the pink BB pullets and green jelly knives can hurt the seemingly invincible octopus as the demonstration showed. Seeing the reaction of the class, this was the first time they saw this too. Proving that no one had come close to even hurting the teacher.

Three, the octopus can regenerate his body in a few seconds.  _Great._

Azalea stored all these information in some part of her brain. This current situation was still vague to her but more time was still needed. For now…

"Let's tidy up the gun barrels and bullets! Before we start the class!" The yellow giant cheerfully declared.

It was annoying how Azalea was cleaning up the fallen pellets she didn't shoot. But more so, when she personally had seen how utterly irksome was that mocking green striped face of the yellow teacher.

By far, her most infuriating target.

* * *

Celeste Azalea intrigued one Hayami Rinka.

To say the least, the stoic girl was mysterious. But, had she not witness the other girl in action the day before, Hayami would most likely mind her own business as she had always done before.

First, how did this new student from Europe ended up in the class known to the whole of Kunugigaoka as the End Class.

Second, nothing seems to intimidate the pink haired girl. Not their yellow octopus teacher and definitely not those three high school delinquents.

Third, speaking of those delinquents, how did the other girl even take down two large males? The girl had such a petite and small body. The delinquents had thrice the size of her petite body.

Forth, it could have been the trick of the light, but…

It was already lunch time. Hayami's eyes darted to the back of the classroom where their new classmate was listening to the cheerful Kurahashi.

The bubbly girl was spouting something about how the teacher was so good at teaching despite failing to kill him. She watched the two interact until Isogai and Kataoka approached them.

Green orbs followed the stoic girl before she disappeared out the sliding doors at the back with the two representatives. Vaguely, Hayami remembers that Azalea needed a tour around the rundown building, before she turned to her own lunch.

A few desks away from Hayami, Shiota Nagisa was approached by their own class delinquents.

* * *

Azalea let out a quiet sigh before she breathed in the mountain air. After the tour given to her by the two class representatives, they had ended up outside. She opted to remain there taking in the surroundings as the two returned inside the building after a quick goodbye.

She spotted some of her classmates a few feet away from where she stood. Not wanting to interrupt or join them she stayed were she was. Her gaze directed to the forest surrounding the small building.

Azalea could hear the wind blowing through the trees and the grass. Despite the occasional noises from her classmates inside the building and the group near her, she found her tense body relaxing.

Thinking back, Azalea realized that she was wrong. She'd thought that it would take at least a few days before the class cheerful façade disappeared. It took only a day to get them back to a dark depressing aura.

The earlier failure was probably the cause.

Azalea from the corner of her eye saw the group outside with her breaking up, leaving one person.

Their target was literally inhuman. What did they expect?

The sound of something speeding in the air caught her attention back to the present. Directing her eyes back to where she heard that something land, she saw the homeroom teacher carrying a missile speaking with the blue haired boy.

Despite the absurdness of one hugging a clearly launched missile, Azalea found herself unsurprised. The sight of the huge yellow octopus isn't normal by itself. Feeling the violet orbs, small eyes spotted her immediately. Its yellow owner most likely saw her already miles away, before it spoke cheerfully.

"Celeste-san! Let us go inside the classroom! Class is about to start." The weird squishy sound of the yellow giant's body clearly heard in the environment.

"Azalea is fine, sensei." Azalea replied. Her eyes briefly looking behind the teacher towards her blue haired classmate who was lost in thought, shoulders slumped forward.

"Well, then, Azalea-san.  _Ikimashou_ ~"

"Hai, sensei." She called out softly.

Something in Shiota Nagisa's aura caught her attention. She wants to find out what it was.

* * *

"Nyururururururu~!"

"Urusai!" Maehara spouted irritated at the exhausting cheerfulness of the yellow creature.

It was a good thing that before she could voice it out. Kayano beat her to it and she was grateful to the green haired female's initiative to cut the annoying noise down and ask one of the things she wants answered.

"Sensei, what do we call you specifically?"

"My name?" The teacher response.

"Now that you mentioned it." One of the males up front comments.

"I don't really have the kind of name that you call people." The teacher hummed. "Go ahead and give me one. But right now, focus on the schoolwork."

"Hai~!" Kayano answers.

Azalea probably wouldn't know what to name him. Other than  _Tako_. Now how to do this school work? She wants to get back home that badly.

It weighed on her mind, what did the teacher's pink face mean though?

Azalea had her answer the next moment as Shiota Nagisa stood, green knife carefully hidden with the paper for the _tanka_  poetry.

Shiota Nagisa had this unnerving talent of observation. Azalea was intrigued. There was definitely something about that boy.

If only the class were able to tamp down that air of anticipation when at least one of them wanted to play assassin. The air reeked of it.

But none of them expected what happened next.

* * *

It happened all at once. The picture of Nagisa's body jumping towards their teacher before dust and pellets came flying to their faces.

Shouts resounding all around. Cheers from the class delinquents, anger coming from a few, fright and confusion from the rest.

The sound of explosion echoing in everyone's ears.

For some strange reason, Hayami's eyes turned towards one figure at the back. Her person of interest since yesterday had one clenched hand on top of the desk. Strands of pink falling on the girl's face.

Looking carefully at the other, Hayami froze at the sight of the same eyes that she saw yesterday.

Rage.

It frightened her.

"It's not strong enough to kill a human being," Terasaka's voice answered Kayano who screamed.

At the answer, Azalea's hand clenches even more. The knuckles turning whiter.

"My 10 billion yen will cover hospital bills, no prob-" Terasaka's cheer turned to confusion. His voice cutting off suddenly.

The dust settled. Slowly, Hayami turned her body towards the front. From what she could see, Nagisa was unhurt?

"What is this weird membrane? It's attached to that octopus' corpse"

"As it happens, I shed my skin about once a month. I protected Nagisa-kun there by covering him with my old skin. It's my once a month ace in the hole."

Everyone was totally confused until they heard the usually comical voice of their teacher turn dark. The atmosphere turned suffocating to the three delinquents not long after.

"Terasaka, Yoshida, Muramatsu. You three are responsible. Right?"

Despite the darkening aura surrounding the classroom, Azalea could feel herself return to the present bit by bit. The sound of the explosion and momentary chaos plunged her deeply in the past. The voice of their furious teacher was slowly pulling her back from her trance.

The voice disappeared abruptly and reappeared just as suddenly. She could feel the furious presence of her teacher, the frightened air of her classmates, the idiotic voice of her classmate screaming and then just like that…

"We need an assassination worth smiling about! One to be proud of! You're all capable assassins who have that power within you. Just a few words of advice from your teacher/target."

_What_

…she was pulled back to the present. The yellow octopus once again annoying cheerful. Her fist unclenching. Violet eyes once again devoid of emotion.

"Let me pose you a question, Nagisa-kun. I have not the slightest intention of being killed. I will enjoy my time with you all until next March, then I will blow up the Earth. If you don't like that idea, what do you do about it?"

Berating herself for her lapse of control, Azalea looked up at the question from the teacher before a now confident Nagisa answered.

"Before you destroy the Earth, I'll kill you."

"Nufufufu~ Then what are you waiting for? Once you kill me, you're free to go home!" The annoying yellow teacher declares. Tentacles dancing in the air.

 _Why'd I go to school again?_ Azalea wasn't the only one complaining. Her blank eyes once again merely observing everyone else as the teacher wiped nameplates clean.  _Nameplates?_

"Oh! What about ' _Koro-senai-sensei'_?" Azalea heard Kayano say.

"Korosensei?" Nagisa turns to the green haired female.

Azalea closed her eyes sighing. Things were once again changing.

_The sun shines on the back of my closed eyelids_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, Hayami Rinka wasn't out of character?
> 
> Ikimashou – iku basically means 'go'. Mashou means 'let's'. Together the phrase Ikimashou means "Let's go!" I really like Korosensei saying this phrase so I just put it there.
> 
> Tako – means octopus. Yeah, very original Azalea-san -_-
> 
> Extra:
> 
> "Finally, we can go home!" Nakamura Rio shouted. Arms in the air for a well-deserved stretch.
> 
> "Don't forget your nameplates~!" The now named Korosensei calls out. Reading out the names written on the nameplates before handing it out to its rightful owner.
> 
> "Kurahashi-san~!"
> 
> "Hai~" The bubbly girl answers.
> 
> "Saverio?" The class could hear the wondering voice of their sensei, knowing that there were no Saverio in the class.
> 
> "That would be mine." The quiet voice of Azalea was heard through the whispering of the class. Tentacles handing the nameplate out to the stoic female, the whole class were curious.
> 
> Violet eyes merely looked at them before its owner merely says, "It's my guardian's last name."
> 
> What


	7. Companion Time

It took a while but at last, Azalea made it to the apartment complex she resides in, using the fastest route. Or the fastest she currently knew. Exhausted from the day's events, she forfeited in taking any sort of detours or exploring the area.

Thankfully, she encountered none of the enthusiastic residents in the building.

Nameplate in hand, Azalea set it back to its proper place as she arrives at her apartment's front door. The thing was even shinier than yesterday from the teacher's polishing now known as Korosensei. Mind you, it was  _new._

 _Korosenai sensei. The unkillable teacher. Korosensei._ Ironic. Yet, fitting.

Azalea's ears sharply picked up sudden frantic movements inside the apartment. Then, it was silence. Body tensing, she casually entered the place. Removing her shoes by the doorway as she got in.

She could hear minute steps from the living room. None of the lights were on and she kept them off.

Going straight to the kitchen, she placed her bag on one of the kitchen chairs before taking a glass from a cabinet. Azalea moves to the sink filling it with water. The sound of running water filled the silence of the apartment.

Behind her, a hand made to grab her. A pair of scissor in another hand.

* * *

"Tch," the sound accompanied the sound of Azalea nonchalantly drinking from a newly refilled glass of tap water. Violet orbs observing her companion, sitting at the dining table across her.

The 'tch' came from a man no older than twenty, or so he says to anyone who asks these days. Hair newly dyed black but currently wet from a certain pinked haired girl splashing water to his currently irked face. Right hand supporting his head, towel set on his left shoulder.

Finishing the glass, Azalea set it down in front of her on the table.

"Why are you annoyed?" The girl asks quietly. Eyes shaded nearly identical to her own zeroed in on her. At the correct light or lack of, those eyes would have been an exact match to hers. Currently, the amethyst orbs glared rather viciously at her.

"You didn't have to splash water at my face!" The man retorts. Hands slamming on the table between them.

"You were trying to cut up my hair,  _baka_ _._ What did you expect?" Azalea continued. Violet orbs eyeing the scissors on top of the table.

The man was weird to a fault. The girl clearly remembers that as soon as she splashed water to his face catching off guard, she had kicked his stomach as  _hard_  as she could. Clearly, the man needed to straighten his priorities.

"Buuuut, I wanted us to match these characters!" The supposed adult in front of her whined. Dvd case in hand from out of nowhere, its cover showed four people. It was clear that An wanted her to match the pinked hair one with the short messy hair and glasses. The man ranted how ' _kawaii_ she'd appeared with some  _megane.'_ His exact words.

Azalea clicked her tongue.  _What an otaku._

Upon hearing the sound, An stopped mid-rant.

"If you wanted to match, clearly that character is paired with the blonde, not the black haired one." Azalea blankly pointed out in the momentary pause.

"Rough day?" An quietly asks.

Azalea opened her mouth. Remembering Karasuma's words…

_"_ _Your target is a state secret. Tell no one."_

…she closed it.

"It's nothing." Azalea looked away. Irritated at herself for the slip. In her mind, she's blaming Korosensei for her exhaustion.

"You can tell me anything." It was rare to hear An's voice be sincere. It would be rude to not respond just as truthfully.

"I know."

It was annoying how closed off she was to the world yet so open to this man.

Hopefully, the man currently named Andrei Saverio stays as the only one able to read her easily.

"So, how's school?" An asks changing the subject. His tone was back to teasing yet it had a hint of genuine curiosity.

A miniscule twitch on Azalea's eye answered it.

"Tiring, huh? You didn't have to enter school, you know~" An quipped.

"And explain to people how a teenage girl is not at school?" Azalea countered outright.

"You have always been home schooled, what's the point?" The man shrugged.

"Not attract attention."

"Tch."

"Work?" Azalea asks, knowing she had the last say about her sudden surge to go to a normal school.  _Sure, normal._

"Well, I found one yesterday." The man looked like Azalea had landed on landmine. His eyes staring anywhere but her.

"You mean last night." Azalea blankly supplied remembering how she went to bed with no sign of her guardian already late in the night.

"Well, yeeeeah."

Clearly trying to not spout anything stupid, An shut his mouth. The man was visibly sweating though.

"Tell me."  _It better be a convenience store._ Azalea states passively. Face even more deadpanned. Seeing this, the man gulps.

"A-a-a ho-host c-club hi-hired m-me." Invisible roses could be seen behind the man when he strikes a smile her way despite stuttering through his response.

Azalea could have thrown the glass she held at the man's stupid face, but it had already broke in her hand.

* * *

**"** **Ah."**

It was the weekend. Two stoic voices voiced out in unison upon recognizing the familiar face of the other person as a classmate from the isolated classroom up in the mountains.

A day free from academic responsibilities and assassination duties. The previous day of school had Hayami Rinka wanting to practice shooting with an air gun in the hopes of killing their octopus homeroom teacher, now dubbed Korosensei. Recognizing the person in front of her, she realized she wasn't alone in this endeavor.

Chiba Ryunosuke

Nodding at each other, they entered the air gun shooting range/store side by side.

* * *

" _Tadaima~_!" Andrei Saverio called out softly, upon entering the store he left to buy some drinks. He was greeted by the shop owner's voice directed to someone else.

The man's gruff voice directed at two teenagers on a closer inspection, "I can't let you two fire air guns here without an adult's written consent at least."

The two teens were a girl and a boy appeared to be the same age as the person he's been taking care of since his own teenage years. The girl wore her wavy orange hair down and had sharp green eyes. The boy has his black hair covering nearly half of his face. Despite their young visages, they had one hell of an aura.  _Why does it feel like he only encountered mature kids these days?_

The two kids right now appeared troubled at the owner's reply.  _Disheartened, maybe_. Andrei thinks, an expert at reading indifferent people.

"Should we ask Karasuma-san's consent?" The boy whispered to his companion. Andrei's trained ears picked up. Deciding to play hero, he cuts in as the owner was about to kick the two out. He was a gracious soul, after all.

" _TADAIMA, BOB~!"_  Andrei shouted, calling all attention to himself in the store. Mentally, he could hear Lea calling him an idiot.

The shop's owner dubbed Bob and the two teens stared at him. 'Bob' just sighed and called out on him. The two teen glanced between 'Bob' and the unknown man.

" _Oi,_ _gaki!_ I told you stop with calling me Bob!"

" _Demo kawaii yo._ _"_  The unknown man childishly shrugs. Remembering something, the man rummaged through the plastic bag he was carrying to produce a can of juice. "Anyways~! Here! I bought you juice!"

"How many times have do I have to tell you that we don't allow drinks here?" Bob exasperatedly retorts. He accepted the can though, having to go through this same thing for five times already was tiring. "This is the last time,  _Rei-san."_

"Soooo, what got your feathers all ruffled, Bob~?" 'Rei' answered. He observes the now quiet kids from the corner of his eyes. The mentioned kids simply stared back at him curiously, according to their body language at least.

Bob muttered 'you' in his direction as he opened the can of juice. "These two here," pointing to the two middle school kids, more mature than the 'adult' there, "needs an adult's consent to fire air guns."

Andrei hummed in thought before grinning from ear to ear, "All you need is an adult right~?"

* * *

" _Eto, Rei-san?"_ A hesitant male voice calls out. The man they only knew as Rei gazed back at them as he led both Chiba and Hayami to the store's firing range.

"Hm?"

Observing the stranger, they would have described him as handsome with the black hair style and amethyst eyes, initially. From the mutterings of the store owner, he was a rude and childish foreigner who needs disciplining. Clearly, poor  _Reya-chan_  had to be taken care of an idiot. The store owner's exact words.

"Andrei." The strange man with a child's persona smiled. At the curious stares he received, he continues, "It's my name. But you can call me Rei~!"

"Are you sure about  _that_?" The male teen asks.  _That_ being the man's signature as their adult's consent to still be in the store's premises. They followed him now only because as soon as Bob had his signature, Andrei had immediately pushed them to the firing range to escape lectures of being irresponsible. It wasn't a lecture directed to the 'kids'.

"I already have one minor to take care of in here, what's two more~?" The man gazed forward before he announced. " _Here_  we are."

 _Here_  being a rented room for firing BB guns. Targets of all shapes and sizes hung on the furthest walls and corners of the room away from the door. Tables and benches tucked opposite of that. One table held a huge amount of equipment varying in different types of air guns and riffles.

The sound of a firing air gun resounding in the room catches the attention of the newly arrived group. Their eyes zeroed in on the lone person firing a BB pistol at a target five meters away from where she stood. The person, who seem to prefer loose clothing, wore a shirt two sizes larger than her estimated stature from another person's perspective.

"LEAAA!" was the loud voice of the adult in the room before the two met the gaze of a blank faced Azalea, who promptly flung the pistol at the loud man's face without missing a beat.

* * *

"Reya-san?" Hayami asked the stoic female who was sipping from a banana flavored milk drink Andrei handed her. The man whined about the lack of respect for his precious pistol which he had caught midair and was now caressing it.

"A nickname, Hayami-san." Azalea turned to the man whose whines didn't stop, calling out, "An."

_Ehh_

"I didn't pick them up. I'm not a pedophile." The man stopped his whining to comment rather bluntly. "I didn't even know you knew them." He defended as he placed his precious pistol among his collection carefully.

The stoic pink haired female utters quietly. "This is Saverio Andrei, my guardian. An, these two are my classmates, Hayami Rinka-san and," Azalea pauses, "Chiba Ryunosuke-san."

 _'_ _An isn't Anne?!'_ The two thought, disbelief in their body language. Azalea shook her head no.

"Uwaaah~! My dark anti-social Lea has friends~!" The man declares cheerfully. Sunshine all around him if not for such hidden sarcasm. Azalea looked at him with a straight face. The two classmates swore their respect for Azalea to heighten for being able to handle the man.

"Anyway, introductions aside. Wanna try firing an air riffle?" The man inquired, gesturing at a target with an air riffle in his hands. It was frightening how fast the turn of events were with this one man and his contrast with their stoic classmate.

* * *

"You have talent, Ryu~!" The man now dubbed Rei-san by Hayami and Chiba complimented out load as Chiba shot the target with good precision at a six meter distance. It wasn't at the intended target's center but it was close and good enough for his first time with the man's riffle.

 _'_ _Ryu?'_ Chiba thought, his head turned to Hayami in question. The female answers back with a shrug as if to say,  _'ignore it.'_

"Sadly, despite my years of teachings, Lea just doesn't get this." Rei ranted, a hand on his cheek. His other hand gesturing to their surroundings. He turned back to Azalea who was firing at five meters. Her shots were hitting its intended target,  _huh?_

Azalea, as if on cue, takes a step back and  **BANG!**  The BB flew thru the air to almost hit Andrei on the forehead if not for his somewhat fast reflexes in avoiding it. Mind you, Azalea was firing seriously at the target in front of her only to hit the man  _beside_ her.

The BB had ricocheted at various angles of the room to hit the man. No wonder the man had vehemently insisted they wear protective goggles as soon as Azalea once more took her position to fire.

Azalea shrugged at the three with a blank stare. Pistol in hand.

_'_ _How?!'_

Andrei explains, "She's a bad shot beyond a five meter range. Of course, we can correct that with a different type of gun but she is comfortable the pistol." The man was clearly insulted at the mentioned girl's lack of interest with his hobby.

"I'm a bit surprised though, she asked to join me today and she usually opts out."

Having no reply to that, Chiba and Hayami stayed quiet, having an idea why.

The three stared at the pink haired female who went back to take a sip from her drink where Andrei's equipment were arranged on display. Andrei, the two found out, was a gun enthusiast, had all kinds of air guns and a massive collection.

Taking a break from the childish personality, Hayami sat on the bench next to a bored looking Azalea who was finishing her drink. The man was correcting Chiba's way of handling the riffle. Before she could open her mouth, Azalea beat her to it.

"If you want to learn, ask An. He'll teach you. He's an idiot but an expert with guns."

Violet eyes met green. Both set of eyes gaze forward to see the man in question handling the riffle, showing their classmate the proper handling. The man fires in a sequence, all hitting dead center at five different targets.

 _'_ _Show off'_ thought all three middle schoolers in unison.

* * *

Despite the  _child_ 's antics, their overall experience in the firing range was enjoyable. Chiba and Hayami discovers that they had a knack for the air riffles. They also observed that their new classmate seems more animated around her guardian's presence.  _As animated can be with an apathetic guise that the man can somehow read._

As the session, Andrei had rented at the firing range, was about to end, the two wanted more time to learn more on both aspects.

Packing up his stuff, Andrei offers them, "If you want, you can meet me here again next weekend. Lea can give you my contact details. Though I can't guarantee that she'd join us again."

The last part directed to the orange haired female.

The two had agreed reluctantly. Hayami more so than Chiba.

Upon hearing her name, Azalea blinks at them from her perch at a bench not far, a book open on her lap. She had ditched them for her book on an anti-hero's journey two hours ago. Initially, she was supposed to leave the store but a glare from the other female in the room told her otherwise.

"Lea, let's go~!"

Azalea notes her page as she stood. The girl tucks her book in her own bag as her two classmates retrieve their belongings from a bench they tucked them in. Having finished packing, Andrei leads them out.

Hayami and Chiba heads a different way from their two companions. Knowing where they were supposedly headed if home was in mind, Hayami glances at Azalea who merely shrugs.

"Dinner out."

"Curry da yo~! _Jaa~!"_ Andrei adds with a wave to their companions. The man was skipping towards the opposite direction from the three teenagers. " _Hayaku~!"_  He shouts to the pink haired teen.

Azalea turns her body to follow after her overly enthusiastic guardian sighing. Remembering her classmates, she calls out. "See you at school."

* * *

It was definite.

 _Celeste Azalea_ was more animated with her overly childish guardian.

Hayami and Chiba turned to one another with the same thought before the two walked off into the evening towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ship Hayami and Chiba, nuff said.
> 
> Baka – means idiot
> 
> Tadaima – means "I'm back" or "I'm home"
> 
> Bob – the first name that came to mind. Plus, if this is written with Japanese letters, it would be written as Bobbu in katakana. I imagined a specific voice for Andrei-san with the phrase, Tadaima Bobbu~!
> 
> gaki – means brat
> 
> demo kawaii yo - demo means 'but', kawaii is for 'cute'. The overall phrase means"But its cute"
> 
> Jaa – informal, meaning 'see you'
> 
> Hayaku – means "hurry"


	8. Interaction Time

The short trip to that firing range over the weekend had been a great reprieve from Azalea's new academic (and assassination, if you can call it that) duties—even if it had only been a few days so far. The sensation on her arm when she had fired the air gun at the available targets was a good stress reliever. Randomly throwing that same gun at her guardian's face once was a bonus.

It was only after the weekend did Azalea realized that her body had been incredibly tense for the past few weeks since moving to Japan. It didn't help that the stress only upped a notch when she learned of her rather peculiar academic predicament and tentacle problem. The absence of the tension within her body made her realize of its presence.

Currently, Azalea was walking towards the rundown school building with a renewed energy despite her indifferent façade on Monday. The long path to the isolated classroom up in the mountain was, without a doubt, good exercise.

Azalea knew she'd be the one of first people to arrive since she did start her trek to school an hour earlier than the supposed normal time. Upon arriving, her suspicions were confirmed true, when not even the students on class duty were present, her turn has yet to come, according to the  _ikemen_ pair.

Deciding to pass the time at a quiet place before class starts, she just immediately leaves the building as soon as she puts her bag down on her desk. A book in hand.

The pink haired girl heads straight for the forest near the old school building in search of a good tree branch to perch herself on. For a good read in the peaceful noise that only nature can provide.

* * *

If Shiota Nagisa and Sugino Tomohito asked what Azalea was doing in that part of the forest, the girl would have answered it was entirely mere coincidence. And it was the  _truth_.

Right now, her blue haired classmate had his hand on her mouth and she was unable to properly utter a word. A quick look around made it clear why the two were trying to keep her silent.

There, on the clearing, was their _unkillable_  teacher reading, what was clearly an American newspaper, with a drink in hand. Had she known that this was where their homeroom teacher hung around before classes started, she would have entirely avoided the area.

Alas, on her way back to the school building, her eyes connected itself to her two classmates who were whispering among themselves. Feeling her stare, Shiota's eyes flew towards her. His sudden change in composure alerted Sugino. In turn, Sugino hurried to make motions to keep her quiet while Shiota just abruptly slapped a hand over her mouth before she could even open her mouth. Honestly though, she was going to turn around, leave and mind her own business.

Eight 'o clock on  **a Monday morning**  was  _too_  early to cause a ruckus.

When it was clear to both boys that she wasn't going to make a sound, Shiota carefully removed his hand, clearly still afraid that she'd make a sound. Azalea had the faintest urge to roll her eyes at the boy, instead she opted to look even more deadpanned at him, specifically.

Nagisa held up his hands in surrender at his stoic classmate whose violet eyes looked even more dead to him. He immediately thinks that he had somehow,  _maybe,_  irritated the girl when he just put his hand on her mouth, to silent her. Sweatdropping, he looks away from those pair of dead set eyes as his own nervous ones focused on his friend's standing form. Thank goodness, the girl follows his gaze soon.

Sugino breathes a sigh of relief at the averted disaster, before he squared his shoulders. As his body takes its best pitching form, he carefully readies the baseball on his gloved hand—making sure that the anti-sensei bullets he painstakingly glued on the ball were still  _stuck._  He breathed again, soon he can sense the familiar tension gathering in his body. He barely noticed the two pairs of eyes observing him firmly.

Soon, Shiota and Azalea watched as Sugino expertly threw a baseball covered with the pink bullets at Korosensei.

_A perfect pitching form._ Azalea observes. It was clear that her classmate, Sugino is a baseball player from his pitching form alone. Forgetting the earlier incident, Azalea found herself impressed at her classmate.  _An assassination suited to one's skill set._

_**Unfortunately…** _

" _Ohayo gozaimasu_ , Nagisa-kun, Sugino-kun, Azalea-san!" was the greeting of their homeroom teacher behind the three students, with a tone that was too cheerful, too smug. The three students turn towards him with varying degrees of disbelief. "Now, show me your best greeting. Don't mumble!"

… _ **their target isn't someone, you could easily kill.**_

" _Ohayo."_  Azalea replies with her usual emotionless tone. She stands up from her crouch within the bushes. Her right hand cradling her book the entire time as her left hand proceeded to remove an invisible dirt or two on her skirt.

Sugino was flabbergasted, looking back and forth at Korosensei's current position and where he should have been,  _or where his body should have been._

Shiota follows Azalea's greeting with a stutter on his voice and a sweatdrop on his temple, " _O-ohayo_ , Korosensei."

When he couldn't keep his disbelief in, Sugino explodes, "HOW?!"

"Embedding a ball with anti-sensei BB was a fine idea! This way there are no sounds of discharge, unlike with an air gun." Korosensei started with his huge grin. The sound of tentacles where ever present as Korosensei moves flamboyantly.

Unlike the usual tuning him out, Azalea was curious to learn the slow-motion version from their otherwise Mach 20 speeding target's perspective.

"However, I can hear the commotion of Azalea-san arriving before Sugino-kun threw the ball at me. Fortunately, I was curious at what you had planned so I waited to see."

At the back of her mind, Azalea confirms that their teacher had sharp hearing at the mention of the hand-slapping incident.  _Meh_ , she figured he knew they were there from the start.

"Anyway~! I had some free time before the ball reached me, and if I touched it directly, my cells would unfortunately break apart." It was clear that their teacher has a love of storytelling with how he builds up the anticipation.

"And that's why I went over to the equipment shed and got a baseball glove!" The caught baseball was presented with the mentioned glove held up by one of Korosensei's tentacles.

_And he didn't disappoint._

Her two classmates were clearly baffled while Azalea promptly bit the inside of her cheek. Korosensei's eyes she noticed were directed at her.

Turning his back to them, Korosensei calls out. "You should learn from this attempt and should be able to kill me before graduation. Until then, homeroom is about to start!"

The giant yellow octopus heads toward the direction of the school building, leaving them in the thick underbrush that served as their hiding place.

" _Hai."_

It was clear between the other two students, after such turn of events, Sugino the resident Class E baseball player, was depressed.

* * *

Lunch break that day was interesting to say the least.

Once their one and only teacher, Korosensei flies himself to who knows where. The government agent, that one assigned to assist them in their assassination endeavor, addressed the entire class.

"Did you figure out how to kill the target?" Karasuma Tadaomi inquires, entering the classroom in all his stoic glory. Fellow government agents, a woman and a man, following a step behind.

Azalea watched as Karasuma interacted with the class. It was the first time since their initial meeting did she see the stern man once more. Okay, she did see the man or hints of the man prowling about the school building.

Deciding to leave her classmates on the front row interacting with the stoic man, Azalea brings out her own lunch, minding her own business. Alas, the sound of a desk and chair moving against the wooden floor proved that the impassive girl's goal for the day was pointless.

Glancing up at her intruder,  _er_ , classmate, Azalea recognizes the orange-brown loose wavy hair and sharp green eyes. Hayami Rinka was dragging the unoccupied desk and chair on Azalea's right. The desks were soon combined, creating ample space for eating without elbows jabbing.

Azalea merely stares at her classmate, who takes her seat and sets out her lunch on the previously unoccupied desk.

When green glares at violet in silent challenge, Azalea continues to set up her lunch bento in her desk (in silent surrender). Soon, both girls start eating her own lunch without a word. The silence enveloping the two was comfortable and companionable for some strange reason.

It was only after they ate did Azalea hand Hayami, her guardian's phone number and email on small piece of paper. At the written numbers, Hayami quietly asks for the other girl's contact with her piercing eyes. Azalea jots her contact info down at the paper's other side.

In front of the classroom, peridot green was watching them the whole time.

* * *

" _Ezerea-san._ "

It was a while before Azalea recognizes the male voice. Glancing up, Azalea confirms the voice belonged to the male  _ikemen_ class representative, Isogai Yuuma. With his female counterpart not far behind.

_How time flies by when you decide to tune everything out. And minding your own business._

It was already time to go home. From the front row, Azalea could see that a very bubbly orange head Kurahashi was looking at her with excitement in her eyes. Yada shaking her head at her friend.

Her classmates were one by one, or group by group, readying or already heading out. At the corner of violet eyes, Azalea could see that Hayami, somewhere in the background, was passing something to Chiba, Azalea had an idea of what they were talking about.

" _Nani, Isogai-san?"_  Azalea directs her gaze at the  _ikemen._

_"Etto,"_ The male starts, seemingly at a loss for words. The ease and confidence when he called out the poker-faced girl's name disappearing once those violet orbs zeroed in on him, unsure of how to start. Kataoka clears her throat, she continues for her partner.

" _Ezerea-san_ , we wanted to ask you if we could borrow your idea of attacking  _sensei_ simultaneously with lesser members in a group."

"That's right." Isogai breathes out, an easy smile once again forming on his handsome face.

Azalea blinks at the request, processing the girl's words.

At the blank girl's momentary silence, Isogai adds, "Is that alright,  _Ezerea-san?_ We didn't want to just steal your idea after all. Also, you can join in."

"It's fine. Go ahead _."_ Azalea finally replies. In her mind, the idea was inspired by three big monkeys.

Her two classmates visibly sigh in relief at her words.

Gathering her things, Azalea stands up with her bag in hand. Kataoka reiterates in asking her if she wanted to join the group at their assassination which Azalea politely declines.

The three walks out the classroom with Azalea in between the class representatives. Kurahashi and Yada were soon a step behind them, clearly accompanying the impassive girl on their way towards home.

Isogai also inquires how she was doing since she had joined the class. Azalea honestly answers, she'd been doing well so far. The unspoken  _Not_ echoed loudly in her mind, her current companions did not need to know about that _._

With a nod at the waving representatives, she parts from the pair for another pair of classmates. Kurahashi and Yada.

_Yey_

* * *

The next day at Home economics finds Azalea grouped with the class delinquents and Hara. Terasaka Ryoma, Azalea noticed, was the wild group's leader. Watching him talk was both exhausting.

Staring at their assigned cooking station, Azalea tunes out the very boisterous group to listen to Korosensei speak passionately about curry.

_Curry. Shouldn't be too difficult._ Azalea thinks, having not much experience in the kitchen. An took over the cooking for as long as she knew him.

It took time but their group were able to arrange some semblance of cooperation within their group. The delinquents with Hara were handling food preparation very well. Soon, Azalea and her group realized a grave mistake.

"AZALEA-SAN!" Korosensei shrilly screamed.

Had it not been, one of the male student's quick thinking and his near proximity to the fire extinguisher...

_(Azalea, later, notes that the male student was Takebayashi Koutarou. The male classmate with glasses.)_

...Celeste Azalea could have burned down the classroom, when the pan she was holding was shooting up flames upwards that almost reached the ceiling.

Terasaka Ryoma was yelling at her for being dumb. Words from the delinquent was barely registered by Azalea who was just blankly staring at him, watching and waiting for him run out of oxygen. It was the first time, she encountered anyone to be so loud up close. She mentally adds deafening to his description of him.

_Exhausting and deafening to interact with._

Hara Sumire was telling her to be more careful and screaming back at Terasaka to not be too angry at Azalea and that accidents do happen. Which resulted to more yelling on the delinquent leader's part when he took one big, deep breath.

The delinquents, Muramatsu Takuya and Yoshida Taisei was staring at the mess that resulted from the fire. Hazama Kirara was snickering into her hand, seemingly delighted at the destruction Azalea unintentionally caused.

The rest of the rooms occupants were sweatdropping at the sight they've made.

Later, Korosensei announces that had Azalea not burned the curry the group made together, they'd all be poisoned from its taste. Where the poison came from will be a mystery unsolved when the group, except for Azalea, were handling the ingredients with great care and experienced hands.

* * *

At lunch, Azalea barely notices the spectacle outside created by Korosensei talking to Sugino. The girl had Hayami's hand patting her on the shoulder in comfort?

_For the fire incident at Home Economics._ The gesture told her.

Except, Azalea could clearly see the amusement in Hayami's eyes and she could spy the same in Chiba's shoulders who wasn't even looking at them.

After their meal, Hayami tells her that she passed An's contact information to Chiba, who had reached out to An the night before to confirm the promised lesson at the firing range. Azalea merely nods at Hayami when the other girl clearly wanted/demanded her there.

The pink haired girl could feel a small headache forming.

Which only worsened later at PE.

Defying physics clearly was a walk in the park when one was  _clearly_  non-human in nature. Azalea observes as Korosensei was demonstrating physical maneuvers he expects his  _clearly_ human students to perform.

Their teacher, for all his high intellect, had no common sense sometimes.

* * *

Azalea had honestly forgotten of Sugino's bout on lack of self-confidence. She only remembers it once more when a baseball comes flying her way at the end of a longday.

The ball continuously bounces until it stops at her feet.

" _Ezerea-san,_ over here!"

A grinning Sugino shouts at her. His gloved right hand up it the air. Shiota had his own baseball glove in one hand, looking apologetic at her. It was clear with the way they stood a few meters from each other, they were playing catch with Sugino obviously pitching expertly at Shiota's awaiting hand.

Shiota's throw was no match with Sugino's pitch, as the baseball ended up by Azalea's feet instead of Sugino's awaiting hand.

Azalea picks up the ball from the ground in front of her. Curiously, she blinks at Sugino's wide grin before she walks over to him. She peers at his face as she hands it over to him, too mentally tired to toss it over.

At her blatant stare, Shiota wonders loudly, "Something wrong,  _Ezerea-san?"_

_"Nandemonai."_ The pink haired girl answers the feminine looking boy with shrug. She continues after a brief pause, addressing the black-haired male. "Sugino-san is looking much better now."

Her athletic classmate laughs awkwardly, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck in sudden embarrassment. It was a bit embarrassing if he somehow garnered concern from the unemotional girl.

Nagisa grins at Sugino. He turns his head to observe that their stoic female classmate was on her way home. Her bag slung over her shoulder.

_"Jaa, matta ashita, Ezerea-san."_  The blue haired boy called out, as Azalea turns to go home. Sugino mutters the same.

Not expecting a response, both Nagisa and Sugino startled when they hear the now familiar quiet voice, say,

_"Matta ashita."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to research on Japanese school curriculum. The canon time table of Class E was blatantly displayed in the anime when Korosensei was punching the wall in episode 3. If I translated/guessed it right, Karma returned to school on a Wednesday as the next day was shown with three periods identifying it as a Thursday…


End file.
